Jim Callis on Jordan Danks AFL performance

I often say that people shouldn’t read too much into AFL stats, as I just did in the previous answer. The conditions favor hitters, there are few quality pitching prospects and a lot of the players are worn out after the long minor league season. Just glance at the AFL record book, and you’ll see that Ken Harvey holds the league records for batting (.479), slugging (.752) and on-base percentage (.537); Brandon Wood owns the mark for homers (14); and Orlando Miller set the standard for RBIs (44).

Danks is what he is. Though he’s 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds, he never has grown into the power scouts projected he would when he was a potential first-round pick as a high schooler. He hit 13 homers in three seasons at the University of Texas, and he has slugged .425 in pro ball. He’s 23 now, and he’s not going to have average power. So those AFL power numbers are a chimera.

That said, Danks can be a solid regular. He has the bat speed and swing to hit for average, and he draws enough walks to post a solid OBP. He runs well enough to steal a few bases and play center field, and he has enough arm to move to right field if he loses a step.